Her Heritage
by Pinkeminamae
Summary: Natsu met Lucy after she had left her old life behind, but what will his reaction be if her old self caught up with her? Update: going on a little hiatus for NaLu week. will be posting a new story about nalu that will be following NaLu Week (tumbr) themes. I hope you enjoy and will see you back after July 8th!
1. Chapter 1

**GAH! Aren't I already working on two other stories and I currently have two that aren't finished? Crap. O well. I write this about a month ago and just reread it, and I discovered that I really liked it and wanted to continue the story. It was origianaly supposed to be a shot one chapter story, but it just kinda grew. I don't know, isn't that how all stories go? I really like that Natsu seems more in charcter in this. Well, enjoy the ride. Hopefully I will have more content for this soon. O, I almost forgot.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

"EEK! Hide me Natsu!" Lucy screamed as she ducked behind a barrel. Natsu just stared at his friend, half way used to her antics. They had accepted this mission for a security detail, but Natsu was starting to get the feeling that this was going to be shady. The client asked to meet the two in the middle of the market place, in the street. Most people discuss contracts behind closed doors. Natsu didn't like the smell of this mission, but rent was coming due (for one of them anyway,) and this mission was perfect for that. The jewel reward was high enough that even after paying for the damages they would still have enough to cover the bills.

Lucy had taken cover as soon as she saw the client. Natsu looked hard at the man, trying to see if he recognized him. Nothing was coming to mind, but with the wizard's poor memory that wasn't very surprising. He was ordinary looking, not much taller than Natsu. His hair was light brown and eyes that matched. He had a slender built, less toned that himself. What surprised Natsu was the man's young age. He was only a few years older than them, and yet was in need of a wizard to protect him? He must be some sort of big shot.

"Hello. Are you the contracted ones from Magnolia?" The man asked while standing only five inches from Natsu's face. Natsu had no room to talk when it came to invading personal space, but something about this dude rubbed him the wrong way. He crossed his arms as he answered the man.

"Ya. I'm Natsu and this is..." He was about to introduce his partner as he looked around and noticed she was still hiding. Natsu just rolled his eyes and tried to cover himself. "Uh, I guess he got a little lost. He was just here a second ago."

"Ah well, the less people the better. I only need one person's assistance as it is. If it is okay with you, please come by the Grand Hall on Lorde Street tonight at six. Be prepared to work."

"That's it? That is all the info I am going to get out of you? What makes you think I am going to take this job buddy?"

"I understand the risk sir. I can guarantee that if you do your job well, I will double your pay."

Natsu gave the guy a doubtful look, scratching his head as he thought it over. This was really sketchy if you asked him, but Lucy would be in trouble is she didn't make any money soon. And she needed her apartment. Her bed was really cozy…

"Alright, I be there. But if I don't like what I smell..."

"Don't worry, you won't be doing anything outside of the law." With that, the man turned to leave. Natsu scrunched his face at his back, remembering something.

"Hey dude, what's your name?"

The ass raised his hand in the air back at him, and kept walking. Natsu sighed as he turned to find his partner. Lucy wasn't hard to track down, her scent was permanently burned into his olfactory. She was still behind the barrels, her eyes wary of her surroundings.

"Mind telling me what that was about? You left me to deal with that idiot on my own. What gives?"

"Uh, can we just go back to the hotel?" she pitifully asked.

"Ya, let's go. But don't think this is going to get you out of explaining to me what the hell woman."

* * *

"So, do you know that creep or something?" he questioned as the entered their room. It was a stylish accommodation, with red carpet and voluptuous drapes. Natsu thought it was a bit much, but when they had first settled in a day earlier Lucy had been ecstatic at it all. The client had provided the lodging, and as such provided meals too. Therefore Natsu couldn't complain too much about it all. Plus if it made Lucy this happy, he would stay here for as long as she liked.

"I don't really know him, per say. But I guess you could say we have a 'history'." She qualified.

"What kind of history?"

"Well, you could say he was the reason I ran away from home." At this, Natsu was all ears. His mind started coming up with scenarios as to why a man could make Lucy run away, and all of them ended with Natsu punching that pretty boy's face in.

"You see, Dad was always adamant that I carry on the family business and name. So he tried to marry me off to the richest bidder. He started showing me pictures of guys, asking which one was to my liking. I always told him that I didn't care what they looked like, but he never listened. Finally dad came to me with that man's picture, saying that since I wouldn't pick a suitable husband, he was going to. He said I was to be wed in early July, but by then I was already gone. No way was I going to marry some dude I never met. Screw that. I'm pretty sure you know the story after that."

"Huh?" he replied. He was still stuck on the fact that this douche had a wedding date with Lucy.

"I met you, you idiot. In fact, the day we met was supposed to be my wedding day. Funny, huh?"

Natsu snapped out of his revived, unsure of exactly what Lucy had just said. He just gave her a nod, knowing that it usually placated her. "So, are you coming tonight?"

"Uh, if it's ok with you, how about I play a more 'background' role on this one?" she asked timidly.

"You're going to make me do all the work, aren't you?"

"No, I swear I won't! I can do other things without him spotting me." She exclaimed. Natsu rolled his eyes, but secretly he was relieved she didn't want to him to see her. Too much history for his liking.

"Alright, tag along night, but keep to the shadows. I'll keep my ears open in case there is any trouble, kay?"

"It's a plan," Lucy shouted as they high-fived. She ran into the bathroom to get dressed, Natsu just staring at her backside. He knew he needed to lighten up, but sometimes his carefree attitude was hard to come by. He decided to get some rest before the mission.

* * *

"Alright, you stay in the back alley. From what I can smell, they man was just here. If you see anyone coming, tap the communication lacrma twice. It will signal me. Got it?"

"Yep. Be careful Natsu. We don't know exactly what this guy is up to yet."

"Ya, I know. Just don't get yourself caught." Natsu added with concern. Lucy gave him one her carefree winks, and searched for a shady spot to hide. Natsu headed towards the front entrance as he heard a trashcan fall over. He was tempted to go back and see if she was hurt when he heard her voice.

"Owe. That hurt buddy. Just who do you think you…"

"What is a lovely woman doing here this time of night?" a smooth, familiar voice called. Damn it, it's the client. Natsu shifted to get a better listen, while still looking like an innocent pedestrian.

"Uh, I got a bit lost."

"Where are you headed? I know this town like my own backyard." The voice seductively replied. Natsu was pretty sure Lucy wasn't stupid enough to fall for this.

"Ooh, uhh, well, I am looking for a restaurant around here. But I can't recall the name."

"You mean the streak house a few blocks away?"

"Yes! That's it. Can you point me in the right direction?"

"Sure young lady." The man rolled as he started walking towards the street Natsu was standing on. He could hear as both their footsteps came closer, so Natsu made his way into the Hall. He was still able to hear their conversation, and his vantage point in the lobby enabled him to see their interaction once they hit the middle of the walkway.

"Just go a few blocks south, and it will be on your left. Do you mind if I ask you something though?"

Lucy just looked up at the client, a blush across her face. Natsu rolled his eyes and sighed, the blonde was completely falling for this cheese.

"Yes."

"Are you meeting a special someone there? Or are you attending your meal alone?" He asked as he grabbed her hand. Natsu was pretty sure he was going to lose that hand in the near future. But no, Lucy was just full of surprises today.

"Oh my, um, no. I do not have anyone to meet tonight. But I really must be going."

"Well miss, if I may be so bold, would you please accompany me tonight? I am dining here and have no one to escort. It would be my greatest pleasure to be able to have such a lovely woman in my views as I dine." Natsu watched as this asshole raised Lucy's hand and gave it a slight kiss. It wasn't until a man gasped loudly behind him that Natsu noticed his hand was on fire. He quickly put it out and continued his spying, ignoring the onlookers.

"Oh, but I am not dressed for something so nice! Please, if you will, I would gladly accompany you another night." Lucy replied with finesse. Natsu had rarely (if ever) seen this side of her. He couldn't say how he felt about it either.

"I will hold you to that. Meet me here tomorrow about seven. And if you give me the address of where you are staying, I will gladly send something more appropriate for the occasion."

"I am staying at the Endorth Hotel."

"Oh, that is a personal favorite of mine. What is your name, so that I might be able to have it delivered to you?

Lucy's eyes widened, Natsu noticing that she might just be coming back to reality. If she gave her real name, she would give away her position. It was also likely this guy would at least recognize her Heartfilia name, considering he didn't know her face.

"My name is, uh, Lucy. Lucy Ashley."

Natsu slapped his forehead, recognizing Edo Lucy's surname.

"Lucy, huh? Well Luce, I will see you tomorrow."

With that they parted ways, the client coming towards Natsu. The fire mage stepped to the side of entrance, acting as if he had been waiting for a while. When the client finally entered the Hall, he was thirty minutes late. He smiled as he apologized, explaining he got held up. Natsu muttered something about holding him up with they were seated. Natsu asked for water as the client ordered some fancy type of alcohol, clearly wanting the meeting to be more lax than the previous one.

"This is a change in atmosphere. What was with all the mystery?"

"Sorry about that. I needed to see if I could trust you. Most people would tuck tail and run for a mission that was this shady. But you seem to be fearless."

"I think you are reading way too much into this."

"Whatever the case, I see that you at least are willing to finish the job at hand. I'm sorry I called you here so early though, but you see it was necessary as I needed to test you."

"What do you mean early?"

"I actually don't need you till next week. But don't fret. I will gladly pay for your room and board for the entire time you are here. That and the double reward upon successful completion."

Natsu thought it over, and found only one flaw with his plan. "Okay, but there is one other thing I want."

"What is that?"

"I want some of the pay in advance."

"No problem. How much of it would you like?"

"Seventy thousand jewel."

The client raised a brow, "That is an awfully specific amount."

"Pay seventy thousand now, plus the other offers, and I will take the job."

"Fine. Look in your jacket pocket."

Natsu raised his hand and open his vest, searching the inner pocket. There he found the exact amount he had requested. He nodded to the man, noting that he was a mage also.

-break-

"What took you so long Natsu?" the blonde asked, aggravated.

"Sorry Luce. I had to stop at the mail station."

"Mail? What were you doing there?"

"Just sending a letter back to Magnolia. Listen, I got some details from the client today. Looks like we have about a week or two worth of mission here. Is that okay with you?"

Lucy's face dropped, knowing her rent was due in a week. "I guess, but I am going to have to get ahold of my landlady."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of that."

"Thanks Natsu. She will listen to you better than me anyways."

"No problem. Lets' head back to the hotel. Did anything happen?" he asked with a knowing look. Lucy blushed and looked down, but didn't own up to her encounter.

"Nothing suspicious." Was her only answer. Natsu put his hands behind his head as they walked back to the hotel. Upon entering their room Lucy immediately fell on the bed, seemingly exhausted. Natsu finally cracked a smile, seeing her carefree attitude as infectious.

"Who's taking the bed tonight Luce?" he asked as he started to undress for the shower.

"Natsu! Can't you wait till you get into the bathroom before you strip?"

"Seriously? You have seen me shirtless about a thousand times Luce."

"Ya, I guess. At least leave your pants on till you are behind the door."

"No problem, but you still haven't answered my question."

"Huh?"

"Who gets the bed tonight? Technically you had it last night, and therefore I should get it tonight, but seeing as I don't have anything to do tomorrow I am thinking you can have it for another turn."

Lucy's eyes widened as she realized he knew more than he was saying. Her innocent smile spread across her face as she tried to plead for forgiveness. "You know I am a sucker, right?"

"Ya, I figured." Natsu smiled as he walked into the bathroom. He stripped the rest of his clothes and stepped into the shower, not bothering to close the door. He loved the hot water on his back, and tended to turn the hot on all the way during his showers. While this was great for him, it usually left Lucy with nothing but ice for her shower. Just as he was about to turn the water off he heard the door open.

"Natsu, make sure to leave me some." She shouted with her eyes closed. He gave an affirmative, and turned the water off. He reached for the towel behind the screen and wrapped it around himself, noticing that the mage was still at the door. She had her back to him, and was leaning her head on the frame.

"Something on your mind?"

"Well, I do have a 'mission' tomorrow, but you shouldn't be made to sleep on the floor every night. You can have your turn tonight." Lucy admitted. In reality, Natsu didn't want the bed. He was happy to sleep on a rock, but that didn't stop him from taking the offer.

"Kay. I'm gonna shower now. See ya in a minute." She called to him. Natsu grabbed his clean shorts and made it for the bedroom, dressing as her shower started. He laid on the soft mattress, thankful for the day to end. He was almost passed out when Lucy stepped out of the bathroom.

"Don't open your eyes, I forgot my clothes." She called. No problem, he thought. He was pretty sure he couldn't pry his eyes open if he tried. That was until he her a thump.

"Owowowowow!" Lucy was jumping around holding her foot. She still had a towel wrapped about herself, and Natsu got a glimpse of a little more than he should have, what with her leg hiked up in the air like that. He let out a huge bellow, engraving the image into his horrible memory. "What's so funny? It was your crap I stubbed my toe on!" she yelled at him.

"You're just that hilarious Lucy." Was his only reply. He was falling sleep again when he smelled salt mixed with water. He looked up to see Lucy was tearing up from the pain. "Get your pajamas on and come here."

Lucy obeyed and dressed as soon as he wasn't looking. She made her way over to the bed sat down, feet touching the floor. Natsu sat up and grabbed her leg, asking which toe hurt the worse. Lucy indicated her pinky, and he gave it a kiss. Lucy blushed deeply, not knowing what the mage was doing. "What? Igneel always kissed my bobo's. For some reason, I felt better afterwards.

"Awe Natsu, that's so sweet!" Lucy exclaimed as she gave Natsu a hug. Natsu was a bit taken about by the sudden gesture, but instantly returned the favor. He took note to take a deep breath while she hugged him, savoring her scent up close. She pulled away all too soon and grabbed the sleeping bag in Natsu's stuff. He quickly grabbed her waist and hoisted her back to the bed, startling her.

"Natsu! What are you doing? I told you, you could take your turn tonight."

"And I intend to. But come on Lucy, this is a huge bed. No reason we can't both sleep in it." Lucy blushed deeply, adverting her eyes. She nodded in agreement and scooted to the left edge of the bed. She quickly crawled under the covers, snuggling into the warmth. Natsu watched her movements, but too soon his eyelids started fighting back. He sighed as he crawled under the sheets, ready to be unconscious.

A few hours after he had fallen asleep, Natsu woke to a sudden change in pressure. He quickly surveyed the room to see what the change was about. When he didn't notice anyone out of the ordinary, he shrugged and tried to settle back into his slumber. That is when he noticed what had woken him up. The celestial mage had found her way to his side of the bed, her back facing him. Her spine was against his ribs, and her back end was, well, let's just say he made a mental note to wake up before she did in the morning. Otherwise he was liable to wake up with a chop to the head.

"Well dammit, I guess if I am going to be granted this, I might as well enjoy it." He whispered as he wrapped his arm around her tiny waist. He hugged the girl closer to himself as he drifted back to sleep. But unknown to him, the stellar mage was smiling, having woken up herself.


	2. Chapter 2

So, I am trying something a bit different. Normally I try to keep chapters to around 1200 to 1500 words, but that seems really shallow sometimes. The first chappie of this fic was around 3000, so I decided to make this chappie about the same. Let me know if you like the length. Oh, before I forget.

I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Natsu eyed the pink frilly number hanging on the bathroom door. It had the normal shape of a dress, but was nothing like what he was used to seeing. The arm sleeves were simple straps that looked as if they were meant to hang over one's shoulder. The neckline seemed modest enough, but he knew Lucy's bust would have that dress verging on inappropriate. The torso was cinched, coming to a close right above the hips as the waistline sprawled out like a bell all the way to the floor. The gaudy thing had been delivered to the hotel a few hours earlier, and as soon as Lucy saw it she went crazy. She had the thing in her arms as she observed every facet of its design, swooning over how well made it was. Natsu knew the girl loved clothes, but not this much. He always pegged for a simple shirt and skirt gal. But he himself enjoyed dressing to the nine's every so often too.

"Natsu, can you hand me my hair brush," the girl called from the shower. After her inspection of the new attire she immediately started getting ready for her 'dinner date.' Unsure of where she kept her things, Natsu started rummaging through the first bag of hers he found. A deep blush crossed his face as he saw that this was her clothing bag, and he immediately put it away. The second bag he came across was her toiletries, and he located her brush only a few seconds after opening it.

"Here you go," he told her as he laid the brush on the counters surface. He listened to his own voice, upset with himself for being such a downer. He didn't understand why he was in such a crappy mood. It's not like he didn't have something to do this evening. They had both agreed that he should keep guard during the dinner, to make sure the client wasn't trying to pull any tricks. Natsu had thought it was suspicious that he didn't even recognize her, seeing as that Lucy looked the exact same as she had eight years ago when they were to me married. He never mentioned it, but Natsu suspected that the man new exactly who Lucy was, and was planning something devious.

"Thanks. And can you bring my clothing bag in here?"

"No problem," was his only answer. Dammit, he needed a drink to lighten up a bit. Lucy did dangerous missions all the time. Why was this one bothering him so much? "Hey Lucy, I am going down to get something to drink. Are you going to be ok for a minute?"

"Well duh. I think I can take care of myself. See ya Natsu!" she called from the shower. Natsu rolled his eyes and smiled a bit at her sarcasm. He knew not to worry. She was smart and witty and his teammate after all. A drink, that's what he needed.

Natsu walked the two flights to the second floor, happy to be out of that room. The open air of the hotel restaurant was clearing his mind a little, so he saddled up to the bar and ordered a double. The bar tender looked him straight in the eye, giving him a questioning look. He turned to make the shot, working up the snuff to ask Natsu what his story was.

"Nothing. I just feel like drinking," Natsu replied as he tipped his head back. Having been drinking since he was legal, he knew his limit and was nowhere near it at this point. He motioned for the bartender to give him another, and the Dragon Slayer downed it much the same as the first. He let the alcohol swoon in his system for a few minutes before getting up and leaving. The bartender looked at him crossways. Natsu just smiled and waved him off, heading back to this teammate.

By the time Natsu made it back to the room he was already feeling more at ease. He grabbed the door knob and had a witty remark ready to deliver to Lucy when he saw it. His eyes instantly grew large and his mouth dropped open as soon as the door swung to full capacity. Lucy was standing in the bathroom, eyeing herself in the mirror. The dress that had been so burdensome on the hanger was draped over her small frame, hugging every curve the girl possessed. Natsu had to try extremely hard to pull himself together before she noticed he was staring at her. It was a close call as she turned her head to see him in the doorway, exclaiming as she spotted him.

"Natsu! Can you help me please?" she announced with a desperate look in her eye. Natsu smiled his goofy grin and rushed over to her, trying hard to keep his mood light. The shot was helping, and as more of it entered his brain he was able to seem more himself around her. He stood in the bathroom doorway and waited her command.

"Can you zip up the back? I can't reach and Happy isn't back from Magnolia yet." Happy was supposed to be back that afternoon, but somehow had ended up on a tag mission with Wendy and Gajeel. Natsu had forgotten to tell Lucy this though.

"Damn, I was going to tell you. Happy will be back in a few more days. He is okay though, so don't worry," he assured her as he walked to her backside. The zipper came low on the small of her back, giving him a tiny peek of the top of her rear. Natsu filed the image away for later as he grabbed the zipper with his right hand and the bottom of the fabric with his left. He quickly closed the dress around her, noting just how perfectly the fabric clung to her curves. Too perfect, in fact.

"Wait, how did that guy know your dress size Lucy?"

"He didn't. They called the front desk this morning on the lacrima phone and requested my dress size. When I went for breakfast they caught and asked me."

"Oh, ok," he answered. Natsu raised his head so that he could see her face in the mirror. The image that stood in front of him caught him off guard as he noted the considerable difference. There she stood, slightly shorter and to the left of him, and yet she was all regal beauty. Her hair was down, perfectly framing her face. She had on more eye makeup than she was accustomed to, and the dress lifted up her curves to the form of an adult. To Natsu, she seemed from another world, another class. The reflection he gave off was different. He was his usual self, albeit a little tipsy from the drinks. He had on his normal attire, which was common for a dragon slayer. His one armed vest and baggy pants suited him, but made the pair of teammates look as if they didn't belong together. A fact that Natsu hated.

Lucy jumped at the contact on her shoulder, turning her head to see that Natsu had laid his chin down upon it. She cocked her head as if to ask 'WTF' when he smiled at her. He grabbed her hand and spun so that she was facing him, and the grabbed her other hand with his free one. He spread their arms wide, scanning her from top to bottom. She gave him a puzzled look as she asked, "Do I pass?"

"Pass for what?" he wondered.

"Think the client will be fooled, thinking that I am some high class lady?" she answered with a wicked gleam in her eye. Natsu's smile was real this time, as he took in the look of the Lucy he knew.

"Well, that idiot might fall for it. But just so you know, Lucy Heartfilia, I will always know the truth."

"What truth is that?"

Natsu turned her back around so that they were both facing the mirror. He placed his hand over her heart and laid his head on her shoulder so that their eyes were level.

"I know the heart that beats in this chest. It's full of pride. It wants what it wants and does whatever it needs to get it. It's a caring and loving heart, one that never fails to see the needs of others. It's an accepting heart, pure as well as wicked. It longs for adventure, and secretly loves the danger it gets put in from time to time. Your heart is as devious as it is virtuous, and that is why it is perfect in this guild. You were born to be one of us." He finished as he stood back to full height. Lucy touched the place where his hand had been, a smile growing on her face. Her eyes met his in the mirror and she nodded, letting him know that his words got to her. Without another word they left the hotel, eager to start the mission and to discover what her former fiancé was up to.

* * *

Lucy parted ways with Natsu halfway to the Hall. He informed her that he would be stationed on the roof as a lookout while she dinned with the client. Lucy gave Natsu an affirmative nod and headed towards her destination, doing her best to remember her training. Not her guild training, but the schooling and culture classes she was forced to attend as a child. She kept her back straight as she walked, gliding along the floor as if her feet never left the ground. This way of walking was slow, but apparently more pleasing to the male eye. Lucy never could understand why being pleasant looking was so important.

She reached the front doors of the Great Hall and slid in as if everyone was watching. Another aspect of being from 'culture' was to be accustomed to the onlookers wherever you went. Approaching the front desk, she told the maître d she was expecting a guess. One look at her and the gentlemen flashed a smile, and Lucy assumed she was already expected. She was shown to her table where the client in question was already seated. She nodded to the employee and took the seat that had been pulled out for her. Looking at her dinner guest she smiled, and tried her very best to sound like a proper lady.

"You look stunning Miss Lucy." The client rolled. His eyes spent little time on her face and more below her neckline. When he finally raised his eyes Lucy answered him.

"Thank you for the gift. It was most enjoyable preparing for this evening." Lucy managed to say without gagging. Sure she had fun getting ready, but his image wasn't in her mind when she dreamed of tonight's events.

"And how may we start out tonight's meal?" a waiter asked that had come out of nowhere. Lucy was quick to order her favorite wine (from the list of wines she remembered that happened to be on the menu,) and her date ordered likewise. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

As they finished up dessert, Lucy gave a passing glance around the room. They had been there for almost two hours, and there was no sign Natsu had tried to break in and see what was going on. Either he had complete trust in her, or he fell asleep on the roof. Lucy had a feeling the later was true.

John, as he asked to be called, looked at Lucy with incredulous eyes. Her comfort level was already low, but now she was boarding on running away and hiding. He reached his hand across the table and grasped hers, locking it tight to that she could not get away without causing a scene.

"What are you doing John?" she asked with accusation in her voice.

"My my, Miss Lucy. I have finally gotten the information I need. If you will, please come back with me to my estate. I have some questions I would like to ask you."

Lucy's eyes grew wide. She knew it was a bad idea to go anywhere with this creep. She swallowed hard, intending to decline his offer.

"Before you answer, Miss Heartfilia, I should warn you that I will not take no for an answer." Lucy's skin started to crawl. How had he figured it out already?

"I really can't. I must be getting home. If you want to discuss anything further, I can leave you my contact information…"

"No, that simply won't do. What I need is very delicate, and is top priority. Your assistance is of the utmost importance. Please, won't you come with me? I will make it worth your while."

Lucy couldn't help it, her inner fairy was coming out. Her face scrunched up in anger as he tried to sweet talk her into submission to whatever it was he was planning. She yanked her hand away and stared him down. "Listen buddy. I don't know who you think you are, but messing with me is a bad idea. You won't walk away from this if you start something. Got it?"

John rose from his chair and waved his hand over her face. Lucy instantly felt numb, as if her body was reacting of its own accord. She felt herself rise from the chair and walk towards the door, her mind screaming the whole time. Her only hope was that Natsu was watching the street. He would see her and follow them, right? He would save her from whatever was going on, right?

* * *

When Lucy came to she was in a cell. Well, not really a cell, seeing as it possessed a door and had a table and chairs in the center. They only thing that reminded her of a cell was the cement walls and lack of windows. She tried to reposition herself in the chair, but her hands were bound making movement difficult. Her next tactic was screaming, but seemingly no one was around to hear. Lucy gave her best pout as she waited for someone to at least interrogate her. The wait wasn't too long before the jack ass came in, holding a file with the name Heartfilia Railways scribbled on the front. Lucy internally rolled her eyes, guessing that her past was the cause of all this.

"Ah, I see some hint of recognition in your eyes. But I assume you will be wanting a full explanation for all of this?" John remarked with all hints of flattery.

"Screw you," was Lucy's reply. She wanted to know what this was all about, but giving that bastard any kind of satisfaction was beyond her limits.

"Since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you. Now, please tell me you at least remember who I am?"

Lucy looked the asshole straight in the eye, daring him to push her further.

"Pity. You see my dear, we were once meant to be betrothed. Yes, you and I. We would have made a happy couple. You could have had garments such as the one you are wear now for your entire life. You would have never needed to pick up a finger. Your life would have been so blessed. But no, of course you didn't take that option. You ran away from home and dropped clean off the grid."

Lucy tried to hide her confused look. "And what does that have to do with you? You stalking me or something?"

"O no my dear. Quite the opposite. With you gone it was only a matter of time before I was able to take your father's company from underneath him." His grin was genuine this time. Lucy's wrists were protesting to the pulling she was giving the rope tying them together. She had the strongest urge to punch this guy.

"Why the hell do you need me then?" she spit at him. His grin turned to grimace as he recounted his situation.

"You see, with your father's money in my hands and all the legal rights being mine, I had no problems these past few years. Your father never disputed the taking of his company. I don't know why, the legal proceedings were clearly fixed from the start, but he seemed content that his fortune had been stripped away. I can only guess that he was lamenting the loss of his only child. You see dear, the word is that you ran away from home and was killed eight years ago."

Lucy's face went from confused to surprise. Sure, they all had been reported as dead, but that was seven years ago. Did this guy even know she was a wizard? A fairy tail wizard at that. Lucy needed an upper hand on this guy, and she figured that was going to be it.

"Imagine my surprise when you are spotted in a little nothing of a town a few months ago. I don't know why you were there, but one of my associates saw you and immediately informed me. I was about to send someone to fetch you when you mysteriously popped up in my hometown. How convenient!"

Lucy's anger had reached critical levels. She felt like she was on fire. "Fine, you found me. Now what is it you want exactly?"

"O dear, you're not going to let me have any fun, are you?" John sang as she strolled up behind her. He reached his hands over her shoulder, brushing past her cheek as he touched the papers he had brought in and sat on the table. "You see, another judge reviewed the case. He quickly found all of the 'business dealings' that had resulted in the loss of the Heartfilia fortune. He ruled that all the money be given back."

Lucy turned her head, noting the mistake as her nose brushed his. She quickly righted herself and kept as calm of a voice she could muster, "Again, what has this to do with me? I ran away, remember? I have no rights to any of this money."

"Normally you would be right, but that damn judge has some misguided sense of justice about him. Originally the money was to be given back to your father, but low and behold the man died just as I was about to award him his prize." John's mock grieving nearly pushed Lucy over the edge. But patience was one of the things her blessed mother had passed down to her. She knew her revenge would come, even if it took the form of a flaming fist to this guy's nut sack.

"I was all set to keep my 'winnings' when your happy little face came back on the scene. As soon as it was revealed Jude Heartfilia had a living descendant, the money was to be awarded to you. That is why I need you, you see. In order for me to keep living comfortably I need you."

Lucy turned again, not caring that their faces were touching. She gave him her evilest look, showing the fairy that raged inside of her. "You can keep the money. But you bet your life you won't get away with this. You may be able to live comfortably, but fear will be your only companion if you don't let me go this very minute."

He stepped back, a sly grin on his face. "If only it were that easy. But I am afraid thy judge won't accept that. There are really only two options in his mind. You can either reclaim the Heartfilia Railways or sell them to the highest bidder. And seeing as I don't feel like paying for something that is already mine, I have come up with a third option."

Lucy didn't care what his options were, she just wanted the hell out of there. She swung her head, as if to ask what his plan was.

"You could keep our original agreement. You can marry me, and therefore give me legal ownership to the company."

Lucy smiled at this 'solution.' This guy really had a death wish, didn't he?

"Fuck. You."

"I had a feeling you were going to say that. No matter. I don't think it will take long before you break. I have been preparing for this for some time. Now I want you to get nice and comfortable while I prepare your next 'guest' to see you."

Lucy watched as John excited the room, leaving her with only the light from the small window in the door. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, a tear streaming down from them. '_Natsu, wherever you are, you better get here soon.'_


	3. Chapter 3

**I am going to remind everyone that is rated M for a reason. This is not a lemon, but has some very adult themes. This is a Nalu fic, so keep that in mind. I hope you enjoy!**

**I do not own Fairy Tail. **

* * *

"Excuse me, are you Natsu Dragneel?" the woman behind the counter asked. Natsu turned his head to the sound of his name and walked over to the counter. The lady gave him a telegram that had apparently just arrived. He opened it there and read quickly, hoping it would explain where his partner was. To his disappointment, it was from the client.

"Hello Natsu. It seems I will be requiring your assistance sooner than later. Please come to my residence on the south side of town. Big house. Can't miss it. If you could come as soon as possible I would be greatly appreciative. Thanks."

Natsu burned the telegram where he stood. He didn't have time for this ass's little antics. He needed to find Lucy. He had accidently fallen asleep while waiting for their boring conversation to be over. When he awoke they were gone, no trace of their scent left for him to follow. He had just made it back to the hotel when the message for him arrived. He knew Lucy wasn't in their room, her scent was long gone from the last time they were here. He figured this guy was his best clue as to find out where she had gone, so he started his way to the big house in the south part of town.

Natsu approached the massive looking building and pounded his fist on the front door. A slim yet short butler answered, ushering in the young mage to the foyer. Natsu quickly surveyed his surroundings. The room was like any other mansion he had visited. Tall ceiling. Lights everywhere. Nothing special. He followed the tiny butler to the end of the hall and stopped in front of a wall. He watched as the man reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an impressive looking stone. As soon as he pressed the stone to the wall a secret door opened, leading a way down to the lower parts of the mansion. Natsu was getting more impressed by the minute. What good was a mansion if it didn't have a secret dungeon or two?

At the foot of the stairs was the client, his back straight and his hands hiding behind it. Natsu quickly scrubbed his face of emotion, reminding himself that the client didn't know of the connection between Lucy and himself.

"You called?" Natsu asked bored.

"Yes. You see, your mission at first was to find a certain person for me. But as luck would have it that person has been located already. So if you don't mind I will be changing things up a bit."

Natsu raised an eyebrow at the man. He didn't like the way the whole situation smelled. "Go on, I'm listening."

"I need you to break someone for me," was all he offered.

"Break physically or mentally?"

"Oh both of course. I hear you are quite the intimidator. Your reputation precedes you."

Apparently this asshole didn't know too much about Natsu's reputation, or he would know that wasn't the kind of person he was. He didn't take jobs that hurt innocent people. He hated those kinds of wizards.

"I don't know, just what did they guy do to deserve this?"

"They stole from me. And are currently trying to steal more. I hate thieves. All I need for you to do is scare them enough that they will listen to whatever I tell them."

Natsu wanted to spit in this guy's face, but he had already accepted the job, and backing out would hurt Fairy Tail's reputation. He was about to answer when a brute of a guy emerged from the other side of the room.

"Ah, Kilrig, I see you are back. Did you have any luck?"

"Still won't talk, but I think the situation is sinking in now. It's only a matter of time until she cracks."

It didn't pass Natsu's notice that the target was a girl.

"Good. Well let's have Natsu here give it a try." The client said as he gestured to Natsu. The brute looked Natsu up and down, a snort coming from his nose. He shook his head and left the room opposite where he had come in, assumingly heading upstairs to the main hall. Natsu turned his head sideways at the client, as if asking what to do next.

"Just through that door and a few cells down. Hers is marked with a red X. And if you please, do try to get her to agree."

"Agree to what?"

"You don't need to know, just have her say yes. That is all." The client dropped the subject. He turned and headed in the same direction the brute had left. Natsu heard the sound of a lock sliding home, and he guess that they didn't want him to leave just yet. Natsu took a deep breath and headed for the door that led to the 'cells.'

The hallway was barley lit, only a faint trace of light from a candle at the end of the hallway offered any sort of illumination. Natsu quickly lit his hand aflame so that he could see better. He only had to travel a quarter of a mile before he found the door with a red X. He placed his hand on the doorknob and slowly turned it, not knowing what he was going to see on the other side.

As soon as the air from the room reached his face, he instantly froze. He rushed inside only to see no one in his immediate field of vision. It took several sweeps before he found the girl curled up in a corner, her pink dress nearly torn to shreds. The tiny creature was shaking from head to toe, and had her face hidden in the corner she was crouching into. Natsu observed the bruises on her arms, legs, even her back. He could only assume the lard ass from earlier had done this. Between the smell and the body, he knew who this was. But it wasn't until he saw her face did his world fall apart.

The small creature stopped her shivering once Natsu had been within five feet of her. She tilted her head downwards, and shifted her eyes to see who has intruded on her. Once her eyes had observed the feet of the intruder, she quickly raised her eyes to meet his face. Lucy's right eye was bruised black, and her left looked to be not much better off. Blood was running from her nose and cheek. Light soon filled the room as Natsu's entire being caught on fire. His vision soon went black as he started planning his strategy.

_If I bust the ceiling out I might reenter in the floor of the main hall. Of course I don't know the layout of the entire building, so that is just a guess. I could make it back to the meeting room and bust the door in, but by the time I made it to the ground level the 'client' would be long gone. I have his scent memorized, so I don't think it would be too long before I could find him. But I can't forget about the lard ass. He doesn't have much of a brain, so it won't be hard to find him and kill him. But while I am busy with him the client could leave town. _

_O shit, I forgot about Lucy. I need to get her help first. Ok, first I take her away and get her to the hospital, and then find lard ass and richy rich. That will work. They will learn never to mess with Fairy Tail. _

Natsu was about to put his plan into action when he felt a pressure on his hand. Coming off his adrenalin high he observed Lucy grabbing his still flaming hand. He quickly put it out and kneeled down in front of her. He was expecting her to hug him, but instead grabbed his head and put her finger to behind his ear. Natsu was extremely unsure as to just what she was doing, but as soon as she started she was finished. He then looked at her, puzzled and a little miffed. She smiled one her of Lucy grins and brought her own finger to her ear. As soon as she was finished she brought her hand back down and backed away from Natsu, a gesture that was completely out of character for her.

"_Can you hear me_?" Natsu hear Lucy asks him. _In his head?_

"_Holy crap Lucy, when did you learn telepathy magic?" _He asked of her new ability_. _

"_Warren taught me. I never could master it like him, but he did show me a magic circle that can tie two people's thoughts together. I drew one part of the circle behind your ear, and the other behind mine. That way we can communicate without outwardly speaking."_

"_That's cool and all, but shouldn't we be planning on how to get the hell out of here?" _Natsu questioned her. They didn't really need telepathy unless…

"_Natsu, I need you to go with me on this." _Lucy pleaded_. _

"_Ah hell no. We are leaving. Now."_

"_Hear me out! This guy is bad news Natsu. We need to find a way to take him down. If we just leave now he can still come back for me."_

"_Not if I kill him…."_

"_Natsu, you know you can't do that. There is a lot to explain, but right now you need to leave. If he catches you here then he will lock you up too."_

Natsu rolled his eyes. Apparently Lucy wasn't savvy as to why he was here. _"Not likely. Apparently my mission was to capture you. Funny, right? But now that he has what he wants, I am supposed to torture you."_

Lucy looked at him sideways, seemingly concocting a plan. She smiled wide, and Natsu's stomach rolled.

"_This is perfect! You can 'torture' me, and I can dig up as much as I can on this guy. Given enough time, we can find a way to take this guy out for good without us ending up in jail!" _Lucy's face was all bright and smiling. Natsu couldn't understand why. What the hell made her think he would ever hurt her?

"_Have you lost your ever loving mind girl? I am not going to torture you. I am not going to hurt you. I will not scare you. We are leaving. End of discussion. _

Lucy started to plead with the dragon slayer,_ "Natsu please! You have to see what an opportunity this is! This guy is bad news. This is a great chance to…"_

"_I said no."_

"_But Natsu, you have to!"_

"_Don't tell me that. Don't say that there is any reason why I have to hurt you. Nothing justifies it. Nothing. You are too innocent. You are too good."_

"_You said yourself that my heart was as wicked as it is virtuous."_

"_I will not do this. We are leaving. Can you stand?"_

"_Natsu, this man, he…"_

"_I don't care. Let's go."_

"_He…."_

"_Now."_

"_I think he killed my dad."_

Natsu went still. Of all the cheap lines this blonde could throw at him, she had to choose that? He turned back to retort her awful choice of excuses when he saw her crying. Tears were streaming down her face, mixing with the blood that already resided there. Natsu fell to his knees and angled his head so that he could see her face better. He had seen the spirit mage lie before, and this was not one of those times. He gently wiped the tears from her face, his will crumbling from beneath his feet. He raised her head to meet his, his eyes mirroring the sadness in hers.

"_You know I cannot hurt you."_

"_I am a good actress."_

"_Lucy, even if you scream, there would still need to be marks. I am not going to do that to you."_

Lucy blushed as images flashed from her mind into his. Natsu turned five shades of red just from looking at the scenes she played out for him. She was laying out just how he would be able to torture her without ever hurting her. He immediately broke contact with her, afraid of what he might do if he let the little fantasies continue. She looked up at him, almost pleading that he sees things her way. His innermost beast wanted to destroy the mansion and everyone in it. He wanted to give tenfold every bit of pain Lucy had suffered. But the determined look in her eye, the wanting of her own revenge. It was too much for Natsu to refuse.

"_Lucy Heartfilia, you will be the death of me." _He answered as he lit his arm on fire. She understood that he was giving in, and played her part accordingly. She crawled backwards to her little corner, feigning fear in her eyes. Natsu stalked over to her and knelt down, sadness pervading his features. She gave him a gentle nod as he dosed the fire on his arm, leaving his fingers hot enough to burn through fabric.

He was already tired of that horrifying dress she had on, so he figured the first order of business was to remove it. He placed his scorching finger between her breasts, resting on the hem of the offensive garment. Once he broke the seam holding the top together, and glided his finger lower. Lucy let out a blood curdling scream, as if the burning to her skin was unbearable. Natsu knew that the heat wasn't as intense as she was making it sound, but that didn't stop him from hating himself for this. He was careful not to singe the material on her undergarment so that she could remain somewhat decent once the dress was gone.

His grip continued downward, leaving a light pink burn mark on her abdomen. Her screaming continued, and Natsu was doing good to keep the sounds coming from her mouth blocked out. It was when he glanced into her mind that he almost came undone. This little witch was enjoying it. She tried to hide it, but images of him doing certain things to the breast he was so close to right now kept flashing through a mile a minute. Natsu tried his best to turn his brain off, much like when he fought Cobra the last time.

His trail reached the hemline of her underwear, another place Natsu had to be careful not to cut. He grazed over it, leaving a bit of black soot on the white cotton. He took the chance to look into her eyes as he continued the assault on her dress, only to be met with the most lustful eyes he had ever seen. He silently thank whoever was in charge for the loose fitting clothing he always wore.

He finished ripping the garment in two and pulled the girl to a stand by one arm. She kept her face low to the ground so as to not show her features to him. He thought this best, seeing as this could turn into a completely different situation otherwise. He gently slide the garment from her shoulders and let it drop to the ground, leaving it pooled at her feet. He took a step back to survey the girl, and his heart dropped. On the surface was a defeated teen, bruised and broken, striped of her pride and standing naked in front of her attacker. But Natsu, with his extra 'abilities,' saw what she was really feeling.

She no longer was aware of any of the pain her body. She was shaking from pure anticipation. Her mind was racing with the images from before, now mixed with new one. She was slightly wondering what Natsu would look like with no clothes on. He raised an eyebrow, and mentally showed her what he could remember. He saw her eyes grow wild and her breathing grow erratic. But none of this did to him as what his sense of smell did. As soon as she started envisioning him her smell changed, and Natsu had to run to the door to get fresh air. He swung it open as far as he could, and slammed it shut as soon as the laws of physics allowed it. He was thankful that he only window in the door was made of glass, and therefore none of the smell from within room could make it out to him.

He leaned back against the door for several minutes, trying with all his might to calm down. It wasn't until Lucy was nearly screaming in his head was he able to answer.

"_Natsu! Are you okay?" she pleaded._

"_What. The. Fuck. Was. That?" he growled back. _

"_I'm sorry. I guess I got a little carried away. I probably should stop reading those romance novels."_

"_You think? I never pegged you to be such a pervert Lucy!"_

"_I am not a pervert. It was just, o, I don't know. I can't help where my mind goes sometimes."_

"_Well try to control yourself next time, will ya?"_

"_Next time?"_

"_I'm going to go talk to the client. And if I somehow resist killing him, I am going to try to convince him that I should be the only one to interrogate you. That way I won't have to hurt that other guy too much."_

"_You mean, you are going to stick to my plan?"_

Natsu took a deep breath in, not able to understand fully why he was doing this. But she was Lucy, and he had a hard time telling her no.

"_Ya, I guess I am. But the minute I feel like this is a bad idea, we are leaving!" _

"_Awesome! Operation 'Get the baddie that hurt my daddy' is a go."_

"_That is a horrible title."_

"_It's cute and you know it."_

"_Whatever. I'll see you later. And use that dress to rest on. I'll see about getting you placed in a real room, okay?"_

"_Alright. Thanks Natsu." _Lucy called as they conversation ended. Natsu wasn't sure how they were going to pull this one off, but he at least had to try. She did come up with some doosies, but sometimes her plans work out. And he wasn't completely offended by the idea of doing_ that_ to her again. "_Dammit, get your mind on the mission idiot"_, he scolded himself. He made his way back to the meeting room, already smelling the sweat and filth of the client. Natsu gritted his teach and put on his best poker face. This was going to be a long mission.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Fairy Tail

Want some fighting? Here you go!

* * *

Natsu slowly raised from the floor, not truly realizing what was going on. He figured it would be better this way. He really only had one thing on his mind, and his nose told him it was right through the door at the end of the hall. Natsu casually strolled over to the room, trying with all his might to control his overwhelming instinct to kick the ass of the 'client.'

"_His name is John." _Natsu head a voice in his head say.

"_Really? John? Of all the sinister names he could have, his name is JOHN?"_

"_I guess. That is what he told me to call him anyway."_

"_This is fucked up."_

"_Just go with the plan, alright?"_

"_Whatever Lucy, you're the boss." _

Natsu laid his hand on the knob and slowly opened the door. He grinned instantly, surprisingly not showing his anger. A quick survey showed that not only was John there, but the lard ass that had actually put his hand on his partner was also waiting for him. Now, Natsu wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but when it came to battle strategy, he had home court advantage.

"That was some screaming you got out of her. How did you do it?" John asked as Natsu shut the door. He cracked his neck as he shrugged his shoulders, answering nonchalantly.

"You know, just gave her a bit of the evil eye. Fire tends to frighten people too, especially when they feel just how hot it can be."

"I hope you didn't scar her."

"Not any worse than tubby over there." Natsu stated as he pointed his thumb to the other 'hired' help. He had to make sure not to make eye contact with the fool, for fear he might lose it then and there.

"We have been discussing it, and I would like for you to stay as long as the girl remains uncooperative. Is this something you feel you can do?" the rat asked.

"I don't know, depends on my mood."

"And what does your 'mood' need?" the fatty retorted. Natsu couldn't help it, the guy had asked him a question. According to Lucy, you should answer someone when they ask you a question. That was one of the first 'rules' she had taught him about being in polite society.

Natsu sauntered over to where the brute sat in his much-too-small chair. He face was within inches of his nose as he spat his answer back, "I can do anything, for the right price."

At this point John took over the conversation, sensing the tension in the room, "I have already doubled your asking price and even added incentives. What else do you intend on giving me?"

Natsu turned around to face John, leaving his back to fatty. He placed his hand on his chin as if to suggest he was thinking. He let this go on for several seconds before answering in his own little way.

Too fast for anyone to see it, Natsu flew his elbow straight into fatty's face. The force of the impact sent the man's head into the wall that he was resting against, cracking the cement in a circular pattern around it. The brute seemed unfazed, still having his arms crossed in front of him. The only indication that he noticed he had been hit was the grunt the rolled off his tongue as the elbow connected. John stared at the pair, a bit of shock playing across his face. Natsu kept his elbow in place until the brute forcible shoved the dragon slayer from his spot. Natsu fell back a couple of feet, remaining standing the whole time. He put his poker face back on, trying to play it off like nothing had just happened.

"Is this your subtle way of asking for a raise?" John questioned. He raised his hand and rubbed the back of his head, an obvious nervous tick. Natsu felt very self-satisfied. He finally got the bastard to feel a tinge of fear.

"Hey, I got an awesome idea! How about you fire lard ass and give me his pay? I am easily worth six of that guy." Natsu chimed as he mockingly pointed to the ever anger-increasing brute. He raised off his chair and was throwing strings of curses Natsu's way while stomping towards him. Natsu readied into a crouch, excited that he was going to blow of some of the steam he had built up. Natsu watched as the spineless jellyfish inched his way out of the room, seemingly heading towards Lucy.

"_Head's up Luce. Johny boy is heading your way. Make sure to give him hell."_

"_Will do. And by the way Natsu, what the hell are you doing? I heard a crash."_

"_What makes you think I caused it?"_

"…_."_

"_Okay fine, it was me. But I am just doing what I said I would. I'm going to make it so that I am the only one 'employed' by Mr. John. So let me do my thing."_

"_Okay, just be careful."_

"_Always."_

Natsu cut off their connection and focused on the fight in front of him. He had two plans of attack in mind, and really hoped the first one wouldn't pan out. He could simply punch the guy into oblivion, but where was the fun it that? No, the second tactic would be much better.

Natsu jumped towards the ceiling as the grunt reached out to grab him around the waist. Being as sprawly as he was it was no issue slipping right out of tubby's grasp. He quickly grabbed onto the overhead hanging lamp, sticking his tongue out at his opponent to mock him. This got the man even more riled up as he tried jumping to catch the fire mage. Natsu dangled just long enough for him to run out of breath when he placed his heals against the ceiling and launched off with his magic booster. His fist came into contact with tubby's face in an instant, and they both went flying into the ground.

Natsu was able to quickly recover, but the brute was far from done. He shook off the shock he had received from Natsu's punch and grabbed the boys arm, swinging him into the far wall. Natsu landed against the concrete with his head pointing towards the floor, feet reaching the sky. He let gravity peel him off, his head coming into contact with the ground mere seconds before his knees. He let himself stay in that position, with his ass facing his opponent, for a few moments to keep the other guy off guard. Once the brute started stepping forward Natsu started his counter. He jumped his feet off the ground, keeping his hands down as balance, and grabbed lard ass by the neck with his knees. Flipping them over so that Natsu's face was now towards the ceiling and tubby's back was towards the ground, he used his heels to dig into the man's chest and force him straight into the stone floor. Natsu then stood on the man's chest and leaped lightly into the air, mimicking the fairy he had always claimed to be. As he landed he turned back to the brute, crouching for another strike.

* * *

Lucy quickly grabbed the article Natsu had left for her and wrapped it around her exposed body. She wasn't as insecure about her breast being seen as she was her crotch, so she used the white cloth like a skirt. She rushed to get the edge tucked into the hem when the bastard known as John walked into the room. Once the door was open Lucy was able to hear more of the commotion that Natsu was causing. She knew not to worry though. Natsu was way more than a match for the idiot from earlier.

"It seems there is a contest going on for your affection, Miss Lucy," he drawled out, trying to sound smooth.

"I bet you couldn't take it and left, coward," she bit back. Wounding this guy's self-esteem did seem petty, but if it was all she could do at this point then she would take it.

John sauntered over to where she was sitting, kneeling down to her level and grabbing her chin. "People in your position shouldn't play with fire young lady. I have two assassins out there who are willing to take your life if I pay enough money for it. And I assure you, I have the funds that would equal even your pathetic existence."

Lucy looked him straight in the eye, hatred for this man oozing out of her every pore, "I like fire."

"Oh really? Then what were those terrified screams for?"

"I was imagining you in a dress walking down 5th avenue on Christmas. Gave me quite the fright." Lucy mocked with glee. John instantly grabbed a fistful of her hair and bent her neck backwards, forcing her face to the ceiling as he leaned over her.

"You will comply, make no doubt. It is only a matter of when you realize the hopeless situation you are in."

"You will never win. You know nothing about me, and therefore you don't understand just how boned you are at this point."

"Boned? Is that something a proper lady should say?"

Lucy mentally slapped herself. She needed to keep her connection to Fairy Tail a secret. It was her best chance at busting this guy. "One can learn quite a lot in a bar, don't you agree?"

"There's the Lucy I expected. Don't disappoint me, I do wish to be wed to a proper lady." He bent down and placed his lips on hers, trying to drawl out the experience. Lucy didn't give him the chance as she quickly opened her mouth to bite him the instant contact was made. Blood came pouring from his split lip as he raised to a standing position. Lucy's head forced back to its normal posture with a snap as if she had been pulling against his grip when he let go. John's face was sending daggers towards Lucy as he raised his hand in the air preparing a bitch slap for her. She reflexively ducked when she saw this, but the smack never came. She let a few seconds go by before looking up to see what had halted her punishment. It was a true effort to keep a smile off her face.

-break-

Five minutes. Five fucking minutes this guy has lasted against Natsu. He figured the fight would be over after about two. But no, this dude had _stamina._ If he wasn't going to stay down after the next hit Natsu was going to have to actually try to fight him.

Natsu's hearing picked up a faint scream, one he instinctively knew as Lucy's. His strength increased two fold, and the next punch that landed knocked the brute clean out. Natsu didn't even take the time to survey the damage around him as he left to find out what that bastard was doing to Lucy. Once he made it to the door he slowly opened it, not wanting to be seen just yet. But what he eyes laid on truly took his breath away.

Bitch-ass was pulling upwards, blood pouring from his mouth. And as Natsu observed, Lucy had some traces of that blood on her mouth as well. Sweet holy fuck, she bit him! Natsu was grinning from ear to ear as he praised his partner for fighting back. The joy was short lived as Natsu watched the man raise his hand to her, and no amount of acting could have prevented him from stopping the bastard.

So fast that he didn't even realized he had moved, he was behind John and his iron grip was holding the man's arm perfectly still. John's body went into a bit of shock, not even turning to see who had stopped him. Lucy too was perfectly still, so much so that you could take several photographs of the three in their current state. The effects soon wore off as Lucy peered up to see who her savior was and John turned around to see the inhibitor. John's surprise quickly turned into a grin as he took in this 'employee.'

"Ah Natsu! So I take it you are the only one left?"

"You guessed right. You can send his final paycheck to me." Natsu ordered as he let go of the man's wrist. He was tempted to leave a second degree burn, but thought better of it. This charade was a horrible idea, but at this point it was their only option.

"Good, good. It is easier keeping an eye on only one instead of two. You know, secrecy and things. We can't have the royal army on us, now can we?"

"I guess not. Then my days in a light guild would be over." Natsu stated with a rub to his head. He secretly wished the rest of his team would show up just out of curiosity. Then again, knowing those hotheads they would jump to the wrong conclusion and crack his skull in.

"Is this your first time taking illegal work?" the man asked with a raised brow.

Natsu thought it over, and Lucy quickly reminded him of their first mission together and how it wasn't exactly 'legal.' He confirmed to his employer that he had indeed taken jobs from the other side of the law before.

"Well that's good to know. I wouldn't want a newbie." He smiled. Natsu's gut turned at the sight of it. Did this dude think they were going to be buddies or something?

"So what do you plan on doing with her?"

"Well, I was going to keep her in this cell, but I am afraid this slimy lizard might sneak away. Got any suggestions?"

Natsu's mind instantly went south, thinking of all the ways Lucy could be tied up. He quickly shook them from his mind, remembering that Lucy could see them too if she wanted. And last thing they needed was that kind of tension.

"Do you have any windowless, one door rooms upstairs?" he asked. "I can stand guard, no way she will get past me."

"And what makes you so sure of that?" he doubtfully asked.

"Your heart rate is 65 beats a minute."

"Huh?"

"I can hear your heart beat. I can hear everything. If she tries anything, I will hear it." Natsu stated as if bored. These facts were indeed facts, but he never boasted about them.

"Well, that's impressive. I guess dragons slayers are worth their money." John slapped Natsu on the back and headed for the door. Natsu had to flex his hand repeatedly to avoid the temptation of punching this dude into next week. As the man exited the room he looked back at the two of them and motioned with his head for them to follow him. Natsu looked down at Lucy and gave her a quick smile before pulling her to her feet and motioning for her to go in front of him. In this procession they made the short trek upstairs.

Once back in the only part of the house Natsu remembered, they took a left into a bigger room with a huge staircase in the center. The stairs were very strange, for they were narrower at the top than they were at the bottom. Once you got to the top, the stairs spilt either left or right, each path leading to another side of the mansion. John led them down the left side, always turning back to glance at the blonde girl behind him. Natsu could see the lust in his eyes, and vowed to gouge them out one day.

Three more flights just like the last one and finally they were in the destined hall. Natsu could sense the rooms were in an interior part of the mansion, therefore they did not connect to any outside source. No matter, Natsu was an expert on creating doors.

He stopped in front of a modest white door, one void of a doorknob. He simply touched it and the door swung open, the lock giving away to whatever magic he had cast on it. John gestured for Lucy to enter the room, an action she did with the utmost disgust on her face. Natsu followed after, a bit taken aback by the layout of the room.

It was small, but not cramped like the cell in the dungeon. It had a simple bed and a table, but nothing was barbaric about it. The pink carpet and white drapes screamed that this room was made for someone, but Natsu couldn't imagine who. The bedding had pink roses splayed all over it, and the table even boasted a simple china set.

John walked up behind Lucy and places his hands on her shoulders. He leaned down into her ear, trying to make this moment more intimate. But Natsu's hearing never missed a thing.

"I had this made up just for you Lucy. For when you came over during our engagement. A place for you so that your virtue would never be questioned," he lulled into her ear. Natsu watched as shivers of disgust ran down her spine, though the client mistook them as desire.

"Don't worry my dear, you can stay here until our wedding night. Then you can move into the red bedroom."

Natsu caught a quick glance into Lucy's mind as she started to plan this guy's murder. He told her that he would help, and she quickly changed the subject in her mind. He guess she wanted to do this on her own, a privilege wasn't going to deny her. (He knew perfectly well there would be plenty for him to take care of afterwards.)

"Sleep tight my darling." The baster whispered as he escorted Natsu out of the room. Lucy just stood there facing the wall as they left, not wanting to move until the door was shut and eyes were off her. John then turned to Natsu to give him instructions.

"I think she has been through enough tonight. We can let her rest now. If you like, you can have the room next door. It has a normal lock on it, so you won't need magic to get in."

"How do I get into this door?" he questioned.

"Simple, just draw this circle on the door and it will open." John recalled as he showed the circle to Natsu. He memorized it immediately and filed it away to show to Lucy later.

"It has been an extremely long day, so I am going to retire. I will see you in the morning."

"Whatever."

Natsu watched as the idiot made his was out of the hall. Natsu didn't want to chance them being watch, so he marched to his room and settled inside. The bed and table were much less decorative, but they suited him just fine. He laid on the plain mattress as cleared his mind to communicate with his partner.

"_How are you holding up Lucy?"_

"_Not too bad. There is even a shower in here. I am going to get cleaned up. That big guy sweated all over me."_

"_Don't worry about him, I took care of it."_

"_I knew you would. O dear GOD."_

"_What is it?!"_

"_Ugh, there is an entire wardrobe in here. And the dresses are similar to the one you destroyed. Dammit, I hate dressing up every day."_

"_That does suck, but at least you don't have to be naked, right?"_

"_Speaking of that, thanks for the scarf. It did its job well."_

"_I want it back."_

"_I know."_

Natsu started to drift off as he heard the shower in her room going. He figured he should take one too considering his fists were caked in blood. He removed his clothes and then remembered that all his clean ones were still at the hotel. He was going to have to find some way of getting their things out of there without arousing suspicion. But that was a problem for another day. Right now he just wanted to be clean and go to sleep. He quickly washed up and put his boxers back on. He almost could hear the bed call his name.

"_Natsu?"_

"_Ya? What is it?"_

"_Goodnight."_

"_You too."_

"_Natsu?"_

"_Whatm, woman?"_

"_Thanks."_

"_For what?"_

"…"

'_Damn, she must already be asleep. I guess that's my cue.' _


	5. Chapter 5

Hello! Next chappie, not as much action. In fact this and maybe the next one are more like bridges to a nice fight scene between Natsu and ?. But of course i might run out of patience and put the scene in the next one. Anyway, enjoy! oh, and, I do not own Fairy Tail.

btw, ADD moment, if you read the new FT chapter today (390) can i just say OH MY GOD I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT. that is all.

* * *

Natsu woke to the sound of a hammer coming from Lucy's room. He immediately ran to her room to see what all the commotion was about. He didn't have to use the unlock magic that he had been taught, for the door was already open. Once inside Natsu could see what had caused his sleep to be disturbed. John was sitting on the bed next to a soundly sleeping Lucy, watching as his butler fashioned a hanging chain to the opposite wall. Natsu could only guess what this was for, and he didn't like how this was turning out.

"How is she still sleeping through all this racket?" Natsu asked as he stretched and scratched his stomach. He quickly realized he was still in his underwear.

"I placed her under a sleeping spell. She won't wake until I lift it." He answered nonchalantly. The client rose slowly to come over to Natsu, leaning in close to whisper in his ear, "I would appreciated it if you didn't present yourself to my bride to be in such an audacious fashion. It wouldn't be very proper to her virgin eyes."

Natsu laughed to himself, knowing just how much Lucy's 'virgin eyes' had seen in her time at Fairy Tail. It was nothing for someone (usually Gray) to be completely naked in the guild at some point in the day. "Sorry, all my clothes are covered in blood. Mind if I head back to the hotel and pick up my stuff?"

The asshole was looking away from him, eyeing Lucy like a prize he had recently acquired. His eyes lingered all over her body, never truly looking at who the girl was, just the outer shell. The whole business made Natsu sick.

"What? Oh, your things. Yes, I guess you do need to get them. That is fine, just please be back before sunrise. I don't want anyone to get suspicious."

"Suspicious about what?" Natsu countered.

"Nothing. Just be off. And do keep to the darkness. I will take care of closing the reservation for the room, so just pop in and out through the window or something." John offered as he closed the conversation. Natsu would have felt a lot better if this creep was nowhere near Lucy while he was gone, but he hoped that John would keep his 'word' about not touching her until they married (fat chance of that happening.) Natsu was also pretty sure this guy was too weak to actually hurt Lucy. With his reassurances to fuel him, Natsu made the trek to the back of the house and out into the night.

His sense of smell never faltered, and Natsu knew of the visitor before he ever reached town. He had secretly been praying his best blue buddy would have made it back by now. It was his chance to get a message back to his nakama at Fairy Tail.

Natsu lightly jumped into the fourth story window and slid the pane open. He was relieved that the glass made no sound as he slithered into the room, looking around for Happy. While he could smell the blue feline, he couldn't quite find him. He looked in every room, closet, and drawer, but no sign of his best friend. It was then that he realized that the Exceed was probably sleeping, and immediately found him in the middle of the bed, clutching the pillow that he and Lucy had used the previous night. He smiled at his buddy, happy to see him so peaceful.

"Hey little buddy! Wake up!" He said as he shook the cat awake. Happy slowly opened his eyelids and started a yawn, when suddenly he jumped onto his best friend. Natsu wrapped his arms tightly around the blue Exceed, delighted to have some sense of normalcy around. The reunion was short lived as Natsu remembered the situation Lucy and him were in. He pulled Happy back, keeping his hands under Happy's arms as his smile softened.

"Buddy! I am so glad you came." Natsu said with a wide grin.

"Natsu! I was worried. I came here like you said, but there was no sign of you or Lucy. What happened?" Happy asked worriedly.

"I really can't explain right now, but I've got a job for you."

"Oh come on Natsu! You always tell me everything."

"I know, but this is not the time. Now listen, are you going to do what I ask you to?"

Happy gave his dragon slayer a cross look, wondering how far he could push until he was completely shut down. He apparently understood the distress Natsu was in, because he never asked any more questions, just replied with an 'Aye Sir!'

"Great little buddy. Now I need you to take all of Lucy's stuff back to the guild. Can you do that?"

"What? Why can't Lucy carry her own things! Her bags are as heavy as her."

"It can't be helped Happy. With the job at hand, well, just please Happy. For me?"

Happy looked as if he wanted to cry. But the strong cat swallowed his emotion and ran to give Natsu a hug. Natsu instantly felt horrible for what he was putting his best friend through, but he reassured himself that he would make it up to him once this was all over with.

"What am I supposed to tell everyone?"

"Just say that the mission took an unexpected turn, and we will be home in a week, maybe two. Okay?"

"I don't like this Natsu. It smells funny to me."

"I know, but what else can I do? My hands are tied."

Happy gave an astonished look at the dragon slayer, his voice rising, "Natsu! What are you saying! You would never give in to someone for any reason. What could possibly have happened?"

Natsu rolled his neck back, staring at the ceiling. It's true, he was never one to let anyone take control of him but this was different. The client wasn't in control. Lucy was. She was the one calling the shots. And he was a sucker when it came to her.

"I know, I know. Just do this, okay? I'll bring home some really big fish for you."

"Aye sir!" Happy saluted as he grabbed Lucy's bags and flew away. Natsu watched as the back of the Exceed got smaller and smaller, a smiled loose on his lips as he thought of how much he loved his best friend. He definitely was getting that cat the biggest fish in all of Earthland.

* * *

It was still dark when Natsu arrived back at the mansion. He made quick work of the back door and made haste to Lucy's room, praying to Mavis that she was alright. As he approached her floor he could smell her scent, and her scent only. 'Good,' he thought. That meant she was alone up here. And he could have the chance to tell her he had taken care of a few things. He made the distance to her room in only a few steps, damn near jumping each of them. He quickly applied the magic circle to her door and entered, his happy demeanor vanishing upon seeing his favorite celestial spirit mage.

Lucy was sitting on the floor opposite of her bed, her hands in her lap. She had on another gaudy dress that left little to be desired in her bust area, and way too much frills surrounding her legs. This time the color of choice was blue, and had much the same cut as the last one except this one lacked arm sleeves. But it wasn't her position or the dress that pissed Natsu off. It was the chain around her neck that had him throwing strings of curses towards Johnny boy and pledging him a slow, painful, and early death.

So fast he practically flew, Natsu was over by Lucy and tugging at the metal band around her neck. It should have been easy work to get it off, but the damn thing was harder than Gajeel's steel. He was about to bite the damn thing when Lucy raised her hands in protest. The feeling of her palms on his cheeks caused Natsu to still, and he slowly bent back to take in the look of her face. And damn it all, she was smiling.

"_Natsu, please. It's okay. It doesn't hurt, I promise."_

"_Fuck that, I don't care. You are not an animal Lucy. You will not be treated like one." _Natsu's anger was getting the better of him. He could feel Lucy's hands heating up as his inner dragon flame boiled. He took a deep breath to try and cool himself off.

"_What is his excuse for doing this?" _Natsu asked.

"_Well…." _Lucy started and stopped. The tension was getting the better of Natsu.

"_Tell me Lucy. Or so help me I will go and beat him to a living pulp here and now."_

Lucy gave him a hard look and asked him to remain calm. Natsu did everything in his power to control himself, wondering how long he could keep it up.

"_He didn't give a reason. Just ordered me over here and told me to stand still. Then he attached the collar and left, never saying another word. That's all." _Luce recounted with a sigh. Natsu let the string of curses that were in his head fly out of his mouth, pissed that he wasn't there earlier. Lucy caught on that he had seen Happy and ordered him to take her stuff back home, and she thanked him. Natsu wasn't in the mood for gratitude though. What he really wanted was to feel bone crunching under his fist….

"_Natsu, I think he is coming." _Lucy noted with alarm. Natsu stopped what he was doing and sniffed the air, recognizing the foul stench that came from the jackass. He righted himself, wiping the look of anger and concern from his face. He turned to face the door as it opened, revealing none other than the client, who wore a smug look of achievement in his eyes. Natsu had the strongest urge to rip those eyes right out of their sockets.

"Ah Natsu! I see you have made it back. How was your trip? I do hope you weren't seen."

"In and out. It was like I wasn't even there." Natsu answered with a shrug. He figured acting apathetic was the best way of keeping this fool in the dark. And so far it seemed to be working.

"Good, good. What do you think of little Lucy's arrangement? Quite dazzling if I do say so myself."

"I don't see why it is dazzling. What is this thing made of anyway?"

John knelt down to Lucy, placing his hand on the metal around her neck. He lovingly stroked it as he hummed a tune to himself, pissing Natsu off more and more. John leaned back and placed his elbows on his knees, turning his head to Natsu to answer.

"It's just steel, but with a magic spell locking it. I learned it years ago from a trader. He used it to keep his wares safe while he was away. It's pretty strong, I have never met anyone who could break it." John praised. Natsu made it his personal goal to be the first one to prove him wrong.

"Ok then, what am I supposed to do now? Babysitting seems a little unnecessary now, don't you think?" Natsu questioned with crossed arms. The client stood up to full height and address Natsu as if they were old buddies.

"Dear Natsu, have you already forgotten why I hired you? This woman needs a little push in the right direction so that she can accept her future."

Natsu's eyes widened, as the memory of her screams came back to him. He quickly hid his fear, not wanting the bastard to see. "O right, sorry. My memory isn't the best thing in the world."

John rubbed his hands together, seemingly eager for something. It wasn't until he sat on the bed did Natsu fully understand what was going on. This bastard wanted to _watch_.

"Go on, don't let me distracted you." He drawled. Natsu turned his back to the man, keeping his eyes locked on Lucy. The worry in his eyes spoke the volumes he wished he could say. Lucy understood it all, letting him know that she was strong and could take it.

"_Lucy, I can't do this. I can't hurt you. What the fuck is the point of all this anyway?"_

"_I told you, I'm working on it. This guy needs to be taken down, but simply killing him isn't the answer."_

"_Why the fuck not Lucy!"_

"_Natsu, he isn't part of a dark guild. He isn't a felon. According to society, he is a perfectly healthy man whose wealth has helped thousands. If you kill him, there will be repercussions and jail time. Hell, it could even be the death sentence."_

"_I don't care Lucy! I really don't. I will take care of everything. And once they see just how horrible this guy is…."_

"_Natsu, think about it. It's his word against ours. No court is going to take our side. He will have us thrown in prison before we could say not guilty."_

"_He won't be able to do a thing if he's dead."_

"_Then his people will! You don't understand how all this works. You won't be able to take him down with brute force! We have to be craftier!"_

Natsu caught on fire, his anger boiling over. Lucy took this as a cue to start acting scared, though the client would be under the impression that the fear was due to fear for her own safety. But in reality she was scared Natsu was going to get hurt.

Lucy had to clear Natsu's mind. She accomplished this by singing a simple lullaby, one that she used to sing when he was in the hospital for one injury of another. He instantly felt the flames burn down, his anger subsiding with each note. His mind cleared and he remembered the task at hand. Cringing, he plotted out for her what he planned to do.

Being a member of Fairy Tail, one had to get used to extreme cold and extreme heat. It was nothing for both elements to enter your life on a daily basis. Natsu knew that Lucy had built up an immunity to each, seeing as she was part of the strongest (strangest) team. Natsu used this (and the fact that the client knew nothing about the type of magic he used,) to his advantage. He quickly lit up his hand and brought the flame close to Lucy's hand. He was careful not to catch the fabric when he reached out for her hand, grasping it fully as if he only wanted to shake it in greeting. Lucy let out a blood curdling scream, laying it on pretty thick. In reality it felt as if his hand was only a few degrees hotter than her own. She kept the screaming going until Natsu had had enough and took his hand away. Once her hand was visible he quickly erased the magic that had given her protective dragon scales and replaced it with one that would make her hand seem like it had a first degree burn. She marveled at her hand, not fully understanding why she hadn't been charred. Natsu smiled at her, but made sure his grin came across as an evil smirk.

Natsu glanced back at the client, not liking how much he was enjoying this. It was true work to keep himself rooted to the floor as he turned back to Lucy for her next 'punishment.' He turned her over so that her back was now facing him and forced her arms up the wall. He had come dangerously close to her as his hands grasps her wrists, a slight shiver sending down her back as his shirt brushed the exposed part of her back. Natsu quickly let go, not wanting any of this to turn awkward.

"Now Natsu, let's not destroy this dress like the last one, okay?" John muttered. Natsu gave him a quick nod as he tried to focus on not hurting Lucy. Of course the dress was staying on, he wasn't about to give this fucker a show of his celestial mage.

Natsu refocused himself, lowering his finger onto her shoulder blades. Lucy's first reaction was to freeze her entire body, not sure as to what sort of pain she was supposed to be feeling. And seeing as Natsu was tired of listening to her screams, he only heated up his finger enough to leave a red streak.

"Now Miss Lucy," Natsu played as he started writing, "I don't want to hear such desperate sounds coming from you. You are such a beautiful woman, and it is so unbecoming to hear begging. Please try to control yourself."

Lucy laughed in her head, swearing that she was going to kill him for teasing her. She re-focused her mind and tried to sound as if she was biting her tongue, wriggling ever so slightly under his touch. Natsu was trying his hardest to focus, but her movements was sending strange thoughts through his mind. He had completely forgotten to be gentle as he continued to write on her back, his mark becoming increasingly more pronounced. Her movements seemed to be getting more instinctual and less fictional as Natsu keep up his torture. It wasn't until he finished that he realized what he had burned into her back, "Mine!"

Natsu took a step back, unsure as to just why he had done that. He wasn't as afraid of the client as he was of Lucy's reaction, sensing that a Lucy kick was in his future, (and not the fun one's to the head either.) He quickly backed away, looking in the opposite direction as he took in the client's face. John's features showed all the disgusting lust he had for this girl, and Natsu's stomach turned.

"Beautiful! Just exquisite? Will it be permanent?" the leach asked.

"No, it will heal. I am not a tattoo artist, just a fire mage." Natsu answered with a tiny hint of hatred in his voice. He quickly covered his anger and put on the pacifist attitude.

"Well, it's still lovely. But I think that will be enough for now. Why don't we leave her to rest before lunch? Wouldn't want her falling asleep at the table, would we?"

"Guess not." Natsu answered as he left the room with the client. He took a chance glance back at Lucy, whose mind was clouded. He couldn't see what it was she was trying to hide, and he hoped it wasn't hatred for what he had just done to her. He made his way to his room, intent on clearing his head. He was sure that if this went on for too much longer, he was going to either kill someone or be killed by his own self.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again. I had fun writing this chapter. i really hope you enjoy reading it. i am not sure how many more chapters this will have, but it wont be like some of my other stories where there are like 17 chapters and its still not finished. I predict at least 10 though. Let me know what you think! bye. **

**I do not own fairy tail.**

* * *

This wasn't how her day was supposed to be. She was supposed to wake up in her bed. She was supposed to meet her favorite dragon slayer at the guild for breakfast. She was supposed to enjoy some time off after their last strenuous mission. But being a member of Fairy Tail was never that relaxing. There was always something that would come up and would drag her and her team off on some wild new adventure. Today was no different.

* * *

Lunch with the psychopath was very interesting. He had asked Natsu to come to the dining hall promptly at 11:45 and had him seated by a member of the wait staff. Natsu nodded to the gentlemen as he pulled his chair in and waited for whatever circus this guy was running had in store. Uncharacteristically Natsu had no appetite. He wanted to get this whole business over with and get back to the guild with Lucy and Happy. For once he wanted the normal, mundane part of his life. He wanted to laugh at Lucy for doing something stupid. We wanted to beat the shit out of Gray for no reason. He wanted to coward at Erza's feet for smashing her cake. Anything was better than this.

At promptly noon a bell rang, directing everyone's heads towards the stairs in the back of the room. A simple female servant quickly appeared with Lucy at her hand, leading the mage down the steps so slow that Natsu thought someone had put a time spell on them. He watched as Lucy kept her back completely straight, willing her legs to move in an unnatural form. She had on the same dress from the morning, but her hair had been made up into a bun and someone had plastered all kinds of color onto her face. It reminded him of when Redus tried to paint Lucy's face on when she had turned invisible. While it looked like Lucy, it just wasn't her. Natsu fought the urge to run and grab the celestial wizard and take her as far away from this place as possible.

The servant graciously pulled Lucy's chair from the table and motioned for her to sit, a task Lucy did fluidly. Natsu couldn't help but think that the girl was trying to act as if she didn't have human legs or something. All of her movements were more like a bird than of a person. Her posture never faltered as she placed her hands in her lap and patiently waited for the host to sit. Natsu caught the bastard in the corner of his eye as he made his way to the table, having been seated much the same fashion as he and Lucy had been. If this was how the other half lived, they could shove it up their…

"Miss Heartfilia, how was your morning?" the asshole asked as if he hadn't been there for any of it.

"Quite lovely. I watch as a knighting gale chirped outside my window. Twas breathtaking." Natsu's face fell open slightly before he remembered to keep his composure. The fuck was going on? For one, Lucy's room didn't have a window. And two, that wasn't Lucy talking.

"Wonderful to hear. I do hope you enjoy your stay here m 'lady." He drawled as their simple lunch arrived. Natsu didn't even take the time to look at what it was as he shoved some of it into his month. He only wanted the substance so that he would have the energy to kick some ass later. If he got the chance, that is.

"_Lucy," _he asked while chewing, _"What is going on?"_

"_Apparently they regular staff is unaware of me being held prisoner here. He told me to act properly or there would be dire consequences."_

"_You're acting stupid. I don't like it."_

"_Why do you think I left all this? It's fake as hell and I can't stand it. But its better to play along than to screw this up and end up paying with legal issues."_

Natsu was tired of hearing about the repercussions of being caught. He outright didn't care anymore. He was more than ready to take care of this guy and anyone else that stood in his way. But the look on Lucy's face stilled him, calming his nerves to a low simmer. He continued eating, hope to be able to blow off some steam soon.

The rest of the day was spent in their respective rooms, Natsu being able to freely emerge if he so chose and Lucy being tied to the wall by the neck. He wasn't going to take the chance of the bastard coming in to do something to Lucy while he was away, so he stayed in his room talking with Lucy for the afternoon. She soothed his nerves with idle talk about the missions they had done together and ones she had done that he could not be there for. This did trick for the most part, and when it came time for dinner he was able to keep up his ruse easily. The dick even gave Lucy a 'night off' for good behavior and ordered that she not be tied up for the night. Natsu was hopeful that he would get out of his duty too, but that was asking too much.

"I have some business to attend tonight, so I won't be able to sit in. But do feel free. I only ask that you do not leave any visible scars." John winked as he left the room. Natsu was muttering something about castration scars as the door shut, locking the two in. He waited until the footsteps receded to speak, but Lucy quickly shushed him with her eyes.

"_Natsu, he is still watching us."_

"_How?"_

"_The corner of the room. There is a recording lacrima, like the ones they use to make lacrima movies. I saw the butler install it this morning."_

Natsu looked up into the corner and spotted the offensive object, hell bent on getting rid of it. But how?

"_Lucy, I have an idea. Just go with me on this."_

"_Okay." _Lucy answered with hesitation. Natsu's ideas didn't usually go as planned.

Natsu quickly came up with a witty dialog and started his little play. "Miss Heartfilia. Do you know why I am doing this to you?"

"Um, not really." She replied, playing along.

"It's fairly simple. All we need is for you to accept the proposal. Think about it! You could have all this every day. You could live like a princess. You would never have to lift a finger. You would never have money issues. People would be waiting on hand and foot for you. What is there not to like?" Natsu mentally gagged at his own words. Lucy, a princess? Ya right.

"I guess I am not accustomed to such frivolities. I have already declined the offer, and I don't intend on ever accepting. This little charade of his is futile. He should give up before something he regrets happens."

Natsu smiled at his partner, knowing the hidden meaning behind her words. He apologized for what was about to happen and grab the girl by her neck. The shock on her face was genuine as he lifted her up on the wall opposite him and readied a fireball in his free hand. Quickly revving it backwards, he made sure a bit of fire sputtered in every direction, including the corner where the lacrima had been placed. He brought his fist down, but stopped as he heard the pop of the magic orb splintering into pieces. He quickly let Lucy drop, her legs too weak to catch her weight. She fell on her bum with an 'umph' and Natsu let out a huge bellow.

"That's not funny you know!" she half screamed at him as she rubbed her rear. Natsu wiped the tears from his eyes and offered her his hand which she refused. He couldn't help but laugh more as her face formed into a pout, her lips puckering and her eyes staring off beyond where Natsu stood. Knowing she was only kidding, he grabbed her under her arms and hoisted her to her feet.

"Natsu! Which is it? Do you want me standing or sitting?" she whined. Her face had relaxed as she asked this and their noses were within inches of each other. Natsu quickly lowered his partner to her feet so that their faces weren't so level. He didn't know why though. It's not like they hadn't been that close before. Lucy's face was also flustered, red filling out the line above her cheeks. Natsu turned away at the sight, not sure what it meant.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

"I don't know? I'm still kinda hungry though. You fancy people and your rabbit food. How do you survive?"

"Hey, I told you! I left all that fake crap behind. I don't know, maybe they have a secret stash of chocolate somewhere!"

"Hm, I can go find out! I'll be right back." Natsu decided as he turned for the door. But he wasn't able to take any steps seeing that Lucy had grabbed his hand. He turned around to question what she was doing when he saw her face coming towards him.

Natsu froze as her lips made contact with his cheek, a feet only accomplished by her standing on her tippy toes and him titling his head in confusion. Now it was Natsu's turn to turn red. He swallowed hard as the crazy mage explained her actions.

"Thank you, for everything."

"Huh?"

"You know, going along with this crazy scheme. I was going to try to pull this off without any help, but then you showed up and everything looked up." She answered as her smile beamed. Natsu just nodded, his head not fully unclouded from her previous actions. He quickly left the room, needing the fresh air to remember what it was he was supposed to be doing. "Oh right, food. Yeah. Need food." It took Natsu two hours before he could find anything, constantly forgetting what his mission was.

* * *

The midnight train was a pain the ass. Not only did she not have any comfortable place to sleep, but she had to babysit her partner the entire time. He was in constant need, something the blue hair mage couldn't ignore. She battled with her eyelids as they walked through the town where her fellow guildmates were supposed to have their mission, only to find no trace of them. They were about to call it a day when the dragon slayer's nose picked up their sent.

"This way," he called as they started running. Her tiny legs had no hope of keeping up with his, so he grabbed the tiny mage by the waist and sprinted toward the smell. The running took them through the busiest part of town, earning a few stares from the locals. She flashed a kind smile and a wave as she was hurried through the market towards a gigantic building. It was hard to miss, the damn thing took up nearly the entire north section of the town. Yet for some reason it was till nestled in by it's lonesome, having no businesses or houses within a mile radius. The dragon slayer stopped suddenly as a skinny servant emerged from the door. He quickly placed the girl on her feet and dropped into a defensive position. The servant looked around at the pair, and then retreated into the mansion.

"Gajeel, seriously. Do you have to scare everyone you meet?"

"Quiet shrimp. Something doesn't smell right."

Levy stared at him for a moment before turning her head back to the house. While her eyes scanned the structure she quickly caught sight of a figure on the fifth floor window. Levy gasped as recognition of the man came to her. She heard Gajeel tense as he readied to meet his fellow dragon slayer fist to fist.

"Gajeel!" Levy cried as she watched him leap into the air. There was no stopping him, he was hell bent of fighting her childhood nakama. Levy had seen the boys fight plenty of times, but the last time they had fought with this attitude she wasn't able to watch. She was in the hospital at the time.

Their fists met in midair, sending the pair flying in opposite directions. Gajeel landed on his feet and cut a six foot groove into the dirt, while Natsu landed on the side of the mansion he had jumped off of. Each man took they time sizing the other up before they ran at full speed towards the other. Natsu took to the air as Gajeel slid underneath, catching the Fire Dragon Slayer in the stomach with his boot. Natsu quickly recovered from the blow and grabbed Gajeel's feet to swing him into the nearest tree. The tree screamed in protest as the metal man collided, nearly knocking down the at least one hundred year old structure. Gajeel shook off the shock and stood, wiping some of the blood from his face with his arm.

"What's gotten into you fire breath?" Gajeel screamed as their fists met once again. Natsu reared back from the blow and answered it with one of his own.

"What makes you think I am any different? I feel the same as always." He retorted with an uppercut to Gajeel's jaw. A normal person would have been sent flying by the action, but the Iron Dragon Slayer absorbed the blow like it was nothing.

Levy was expecting the dialog to continue, but she soon realized the two would rather talk with their fists. Her hands cupped her mouth as the tears started streaming down her face. It was killing her to see the boy she had grown up with and the man she had grown so close to fight each other as if they were enemies once again. They had come so far, so many battles fought together. With all her heart she knew Gajeel had become one of the fairies. But at this moment it wasn't Gajeel's loyalty that was in question. It was Natsu's. Fairy Tail own spokesperson for loyalty and trust. Levy could feel her world shatter with every blow they gave.

Apparently the ground wasn't as much fun as the sky, and soon the dragon slayers were off beating each other to a pulp amongst the clouds. Levy had to strain to see where each blow originated from and where it landed. It was a strict tie between who was received and who was giving. It wasn't until Natsu landed a flip kick to Gajeel's ribs did the pair plummet back to earth. A shallow crater was present where the two landed, dust settling in their midst. Natsu stood first, and his eyes took in the sight of the script mage. For the first time in her life Levy was actually scared of her adoptive brother. He had always been a shining ray of hope, a protector to all that he called family. But at this moment he was dangerous, and Levy couldn't find the strength to run.

Before Gajeel ever opened his eyes Natsu pounced towards Levy. Her every instinct told her to duck, but her body just couldn't move. She was staring straight into the eyes of the man that had always protected her. He was coming straight at her, his fist leading the charge. She managed to tear her eyes away from fist as she stared into his eyes, trying with all her might to understand what had gotten into him. That is when she saw it.

His eyes didn't match the rest of his body. They were wide and pleading, almost as if he was trying to send her a message. She quickly got over her shock and unsheathed her light pen from her back pocket. Acting on instinct she quickly wrote 'Freeze' and sent the command straight for Natsu. She didn't normally use this spell, mainly because it froze everything, not just her target. But she knew she only had thirty seconds until the spell wore off and the fight resumed.

The spell acted just in time, Natsu's fist only feet from her. She quickly made the jog over to the boy and surveyed his body, looking for any clues as to what was going on. It wasn't until she reached his outstretched fist did she see the slip of paper sticking out. She quickly slid the paper from his grasp and ran to take her place in front of Natsu. The spell would be wearing off soon, and she was prepared to take the full front of his punch.

"Oh no you fucking don't salamander," were the first words she heard as time started flowing again. Levy's vision caught up with her hearing as she watched Gajeel grab Natsu's ankle and swing him towards the mansion. Natsu landed with a thud and started rubbing his head. He looked down into his hands with a confused look before he glanced up at Levy, the girl giving him a nod that she had gotten his message. Levy made haste over to her partner as he started stalking towards his opponent. She grabbed him around the waist and hugged tight, hoping the sensation of her touching him would calm him down. No such luck.

"Salamander! What the fuck is wrong with you? You seriously would hurt her? What the fuck is going on?" Gajeel questioned as Levy kept her grasp. He was still moving towards him, her feet dragging the ground like a doll's. The only thing slowing him were her pleas.

Natsu didn't answer, only jumped to the window he had emerged from and disappeared inside. Gajeel let out roar as he made to follow the boy. Levy's scream were going unnoticed.

"Gajeel, stop! You have to calm down!" she protested while he readied to jump. It wasn't until her form impeded on his crouching did he notice she was still clinging to him. He stood straight, giving her a questioning look.

"Levy, let me go."

"No, I won't.

"Why? Clearly salamander needs some sense knocked into him."

"Please, just stop!" she pleaded. She ran in front of the slayer and put her hands on his chest, stilling his body. He stared down at the girl, frustration emitting throughout his body at not being able to finish his fight. Once he had calmed down Levy backed off him and took the chance to slip him the note she had found. He glanced at her and at the note, confusion taking over his face. Levy rolled her eyes as she snatched the note away and opened it, curious as to what it said. Levy broke out into tears at the two simple words and handed the note over to her partner. He quickly glanced at it and instantly loosened up. He grabbed the girl by the shoulders and led her away from the mansion, vowing to be back.

* * *

Natsu watched from the window as the two left the manor. He knew Lucy would kick him for this, but they needed the extra hands. Once he had smelled Gajeel's presence he quickly tore off a piece of parchment and jotted down the words that could spare them of this place. He was never one for words, so he figured a simple 'help us,' would suffice. He smiled as the pair left, knowing that Levy was smart enough to figure out what was going on.

Natsu turned as his door opened, letting in the bastard. He greeted the fire mage with a congratulations on winning his fight, and informed him that he could have the rest night off. Natsu asked what would be in store for the girl, to which he was told she would be tied up and left alone. Natsu highly doubted that, but he still agreed and watched as the man left him alone. Natsu could only pray that their nakama at Fairy Tail would come through once again for them.


End file.
